Thursday, November 13, 2025, 12:00–1:30 pm Virtual
About the Event
Transportation is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., and reducing those emissions is key to tackling the climate crisis. New technologies—from eco-friendly navigation apps to connected and automated vehicles—offer exciting opportunities to make our transportation system cleaner and more energy efficient. But these tools can also create unexpected challenges, such as increased traffic congestion or higher overall emissions, if not carefully designed.
In this webinar, researchers will share new approaches to smarter routing and vehicle technology that can lower energy use and reduce emissions. Join us to learn how innovations in navigation, automation, and vehicle control could help shape a more sustainable future.
Speakers
Zongxuan Sun is a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Minnesota. He is an expert on dynamic systems and control with applications in automotive propulsion systems. He worked at the General Motors Research Center for seven years prior to joining the University in 2007. His research work includes system modeling, control theory, building unique instruments, and testbeds for experiments.
Michael Levin is an associate professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering at the University of Minnesota and a CTS scholar. His research focuses on modeling connected and automated vehicles and intelligent transportation systems to predict and optimize how these technologies will affect travel demand and traffic flow. Levin is specifically interested in using traffic flow, transportation network analysis, and operations research methods to study these new technologies and their effects on cities.
Registration
This webinar is free, but registration is required. Once you have registered, you will receive an email confirmation with a Zoom link. The link should not be shared with others; it is unique to you.
Credit
Attendees are eligible for Professional Development Hours (PDHs) and American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification maintenance credits.
More information
For more information or to request support, go to complete announcement on the Center for Transportation Studies website.
Related MnDOT Research Projects
- Influence of Autonomous and Partially Autonomous Vehicles on Minnesota Roads
- Generating Traffic Information from Connected Vehicle V2V Basic Safety Messages
- Cost/Benefit Analysis of Fuel Efficient Speed Control Using Signal Phasing and Timing (SPaT) Data: Evaluation for Future Connected Corridor Deployment
- Towards Implementation of Max-Pressure Signal Timing on Minnesota Roads
- School Times Impact on Students Walking or Biking to School: Safe Routes to School
- Development and Demonstration of a Novel Red Light Running Warning System Using Connected v2i Technology
- A Novel Red Light Running Warning System Using Connected v2i Technology, Phase 2: Driver Testing on Public Roads (ongoing)
- Impacts of Shared Mobility on Infrastructure usage, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Accessibility (ongoing)
- Comparative Analysis of Grade-Separated Pedestrian Infrastructure and At-grade Treatments (ongoing)
- Bike infrastructure planning based on mobile-sourced data and anticipated route shifts (ongoing)
Crossroads 